The disclosure relates to a micromechanical rate-of-rotation sensor, in particular to a rate-of-rotation sensor having vibrating Coriolis elements. From a further point of view, the disclosure relates to a method for operating such a micromechanical rate-of-rotation sensor.
Micromechanical rate-of-rotation sensors having Coriolis elements, i.e. having masses driven in vibration, which experience a deflection on account of the Coriolis force acting on the masses during the rotation of the rate-of-rotation sensor, are generally known. Thus, a known micromechanical rate-of-rotation sensor has a vibrating body which extends in an x-y plane and is caused to make a linear vibration along a physical axis (e.g. x-axis) lying in this plane. During a rotation about an axis of rotation (z axis) which is perpendicular to the plane, the Coriolis force effects a displacement of the vibrating body in a direction (y-axis) which is in the plane perpendicular to the vibration axis (x-axis). This displacement can be detected capacitively with the aid of measuring electrodes and evaluated.
As disclosed in DE 10 2011 006 394 A1, such a rate-of-rotation sensor comprises, for example, a first Coriolis element and a second Coriolis element and also a coupling element which couples the first Coriolis element and the second Coriolis element to each other mechanically in an anti-parallel drive mode. The Coriolis elements are surrounded by U-shaped drive elements coupled to one another, which are pierced on the respectively facing sides and, on the limbs, have movable electrodes which project outwards and which engage in the manner of combs in stationary electrodes, which are firmly connected to a substrate by bearing blocks.
For many applications, it is desirable to reduce the overall space needed by the rate-of-rotation sensor.